Prank or Prognostication? Some 2013 April Fools’ jokes that could become reality

The tradition of fake news coming out of the tech world every April Fools’ Day can be a bit tiresome. After you’ve been through a few cycles of stories about phony new products and fake M&A activity, the humor wears a bit thin.

But sometimes April Fools’ jokes can get interesting — like when a gag starts to look more like a prophesy about our changing industry or a foreshadowing of a future product or service. Here are three April Fools’ jokes from this year that we think may, unwittingly, have more than just a hint of truth to them.

A broadband connection in every alley

Google(s goog) is famous for pulling out all of the stops each April 1st, and this year is no exception. There’s Gmail Blue and a new levity algorithm. One of its biggest pranks, Google Nose, actually has some grounding in real…